Package-fastener.



No. 875,442. PATENTED DEC. 31, 1907.

P. R, LE BOEUP.

PACKAGE PASTENER.

APPLICATION I-ILED AUG. 5, 1907.

damn,

, 1H5 NORRIS PETERS C0,, wAsHnlcToN, n4 4:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

PAUL R. LE BOEUF, OF AMELIA, LOUISIANA, ASSIONOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO HENRY A. TERRIO AND PAUL BRAUD, OF ASGENSION PARISH, LOUISIANA.

PACKAGE-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1907.

Application filed August 5, 1907. Serial No. 387.107.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL R. LE BOEUF, citizen of the United States, residing at Amelia, in the parish of St. Mary and State of Louisiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Package-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to package fasteners; and it contemplates the provision of a simple and durable device through the me dium of which a plurality of letters or other articles may be expeditiously and easily fastened together and securely held in a package, and this in such manner that while there is no liability of any of the letters or other articles being casually released, yet when desired the package may be readily opened for the removal of. any desired letter or article.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when the same are read in connection with the drawings, accompanying and forming part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical, longitudinal section taken through my novel fastener and illustrating the same as tightly holding a package of letters; the said view also illustrating by dotted lines the position which one end of the upper member of the fastener assumes when the fastener is adjusted to open the package to permit of the removal of a letter or other article therefrom. Fig. 2 is a plan View illustrating the fastener on the package. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view showing the fastener on the package. Fig. 4 is a view showing the package in end elevation with the fastener thereon. Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrative of the lower clamping member of the fastener, removed.

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings, re ferring to which:

A is a package of letters.

B is the lower clamping member of my novel fastener, and C is the upper clamping member comprised in the fastener. The clamping members B and C respectively comprise a transverse, bowed strip a the concave side of which is presented to the package of letters, and a longitudinal strip 1) riveted or otherwise fixed to the strip a and extending at a right angle thereto; the said strips a and I) being preferably thin strips of steel. The

longitudinal strips 1) of the clamping members B and C are normally concavo-convex 1n the direction of their length, and as shown in Fig. 5 the convex sides of the strips are opposed to the convex sides of the transverse bowed strips (1. Thus it will be seen that when the fastener is positioned on the package A and the strips 6 are held in a flat state, as shown in Fig. 1, the said strips 6 will be maintained under tension and consequently will operate to hold the end connections, presently described, of the fastener in a taut state. The u per clamping member O differs from the lower clamping member B in that it is provided on its longitudinal strip 1) adjacent to one end thereof with a tab D, preferably of leather on the under side of which is a hook E for a purpose presently set forth in detail.

In addition to the lower clamping member -B and the upper clamping member O, my

novel fastener comprises an end connection F and an end connection G. The end con nection F comprises a strap 0, of textile or other suitable material permanently connected at one end, preferably by a rivet C to one end of the strip b of the lower clamping member B and passed or looped through a ring (1, carried by a strap d riveted at d to the strip 6 of the upper clamping member C, and a slide buckle 6 connected to the opposite end of the strap 0 and adjustable on the major portion of the said strap. The buckle c is provided with a ring a through the medium of which it may be conveniently moved up or down. Thus it will be apparent that when the buckle e is moved upward, the con-v nection F will be increased in length to permit the corresponding ends of the two strips 6 to spring apart so as to open the package, while when the buckle e is moved downward, the connection F will be shortened and the corresponding ends of the strips 1) will be drawn toward each other to close the package and to hold the strips 1) under pressure thereagainst. The end connection G comprises a ring or loop E, a strap m connected at one end, preferably by a rivet 0 to the end of the strip b of the lower clamping member B and passed or looped through the ring E, and a slide buckle a connected to the opposite end of the strap on and adjustable on the major portion of said strap. The buckle n is provided with a ring 6 through the medium of which it may be conveniently moved up and down. By adjusting the said buckle 'n it will be readily seen that the connection G'may be increased or diminished in length as occasion demands; and it will also be seen that the ring E at the upper end of the con nection G is susceptible of being readily engaged with and disengaged from the hook E on the tab D; the adjacent end of the strip 1) being bent downward as indicated by b in order to facilitate such operation.

In the practical use of my improvements, the lower clamping member B is positioned at the under side of the package of letters or other articles to be held, and the clamping member 0 is arranged at the upper side of said package, after which the ring E on the connection G is engaged with the hook E on tab D. With this done the end connections F and G are shortened to the necessary extent, when, as will be readily apparent, the package will be tightly and securely clamped and held between the members B and C.

The adjustability of the end connections F and G enables the fastener to properly hold packages of various heights or thicknesses.

When the package arrives at its destination and it is desired to open same it is simply necessary for the operator to grasp the tab D with one hand and then with his other hand disengage the ring E from the hook E, since when this is done, the fastener may be eX- peditiously and easily removedas a whole from the package. It will also be appreciated that by grasping and drawing backward on the free end of the tab the operator may with one hand readily disengage the hook E from the ring E to effect the opening of the fastener.

The construction herein illustrated and described constitutes the preferred embodiment of my invention, but it is obvious that in practice such changes or modifications may be made as fairly fall within the scope of my invention as defined in the claims appended.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent 1. Apackage fastener comprising clamping members one of which is provided at one end with a ring, a strap connected to the corresponding end of the other member and passed through the said ring, a buckle slidable on the major portion of the strap and connected to one end thereof, a tab connected to the opposite end portion of one clamping member and having a hook, and a strap connected at one end to the corresponding end portion of the other clasping member, a ring through which the said strap is passed; said ring being arranged to be engaged with and disengaged from the said hook, and a buckle slidable on the major portion of the strap and connected to one end thereof.

2. A package fastener comprising clamping members one of which is provided with a resilient strip having a downwardly bent end, a connection between the said members at one end of the fastener, a tab connected to the said strip of one clamping member and having a hook at its inner side arranged opposite the saiddownwardly bent end of the strip, and a connection connected to the corresponding end portion of the other clamping member and having a ring arranged to be engaged with and disengaged from the said hook.

3. A package fastener comprising clamping members each of which has a transverse strip of resilient material normally bowed outward and a longitudinal strip of resilient material, "fixed to the transverse strip and normally bowed inward, and connections between the said clamping members at the ends of the fastener.

4. A package fastener comprising clamping members each of which has a transverse strip of resilient material normally bowed outward and a longitudinal strip of resilient material fixed to the transverse strip and normally bowed inward; one of said clamping members also having a hook adjacent to one end of its longitudinal strip, a connection between the ends of the clamping members remote from said. hook, and a connection connected to the opposite end of one clamping member and having a device arranged to be engaged with and disengaged from the said hook.

5. A package fastener comprising clamping members each of which has a transverse strip of resilient material normally bowed outward and a longitudinal strip of resilient material fixed to the transverse strip and normally bowed inward; one of said clamping members also having a tab adjacent to one end of its longitudinal strip and a hook at the inner side of said tab, an adjustable connection between the ends of the clamp ing members remote from the said tab and hook, and an adjustable connection connected to the opposite end of one clamping member and having a ring arranged to be engaged with and disengaged from the hook on the tab.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- IIGSSGS.

PAUL R. LE BOEUR. Witnesses:

Louis P. BRYANT, GEO. W. KENDALL. 

